Frontline workers with Covid-19 entitled to ECP claims

FRONTLINE WORKERS in the private and public sectors, who contracted the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) because of their employment, are entitled to the benefits and services under the Employees’ Compensation Program (ECP), the Employees’ Compensation Commission (ECC) said.

According to ECC Executive Director Stella Zipagan-Banawis, frontline personnel who acquired the deadly virus are eligible to file an Employees’ Compensation claim at any Social Security System (SSS) or Government Service Insurance System (GSIS).

“ECC envisions a safe working environment for all Filipino workers, especially, the frontline workers who are crucial in this time of the pandemic. In the event that an employee acquires the virus because of work or working environment, it can be compensable under the EC Program through the ‘Increased Risk Theory’ provided that it was obtained by the employee in the performance of his employment,” she said in a statement.

Those eligible for the claim are frontline workers, including doctors, nurses, uniformed personnel, hospital support staff, pharmacists, employees of food industries, supermarket personnel, and security guards who have an employee-employer relationship and were found to be positive with Covid-19 due to their employment.

Banawis added that the beneficiaries can avail of the daily sickness benefit (temporary total disability) and medical benefits. If the worker dies due to Covid-19, his family can claim death with funeral benefits.

Daily sickness benefit given to beneficiaries is at a maximum amount of PHP480 up to a maximum of 120 days and can be extended up to 240 days for private-sector employees.

For the government sector, the maximum daily income benefit is PHP200 or Php340 if the worker opts to avail of sickness benefit under the GSIS Law or Republic Act 8291. This does not require the exhaustion of leave credits to avail of the daily sickness benefit.

Medical benefits include the reimbursement of medical expenses incurred in the treatment of Covid-19, which shall be based on the schedule of reimbursement.

In case of death, the ECC official said the beneficiaries are entitled to death benefits or survivorship pension which is computed based on the number and amount of premium contributions paid by the employer.

The minimum EC survivorship pension for private-sector workers is PHP2,000 per month and the EC funeral benefit amounts to PHP30,000 for both the private or public sector employee. (By Ferdinand Patinio)